Dewey Hensley, the chief academic officer for Jefferson County Public Schools, has abruptly submitted his letter of resignation, leaving another hole in Superintendent Donna Hargens' already decimated cabinet.

Hensley's last day will be Friday, JCPS spokeswoman Bonnie Hackbarth confirmed.

In his resignation letter, Hensley said working conditions at JCPS have "not been very enriching."

"It
has been a time of marginalized voices, eroded credibility, and a great
deal of time devoted less to developing quality schools for children
and more about managing perceptions for adults," he wrote in the letter
addressed to Hargens and board chairman David Jones Jr.

He said
"perhaps the most beneficial time" in JCPS was when "the cabinet worked
to reorganize the district so 'children and classrooms were at the
center of the universe,'" but said that since then, "it has been a
challenge to be heard above the 'noise' of indecision, the circling buzz
of perception, and the hammer strikes to fabricate an image."

His
resignation letter attacked what he called "pseudo-innovation," and
said his team was often left to take the brunt of criticisms.

"It
is clear I am expected to be accountable for results, but secondary in
the inputs," he wrote. "This makes me a scapegoat, not by chance, but by
design."

He wishes Hargens and Jones luck, adding that "I am
certain with the changes in assessment and accountability you seek, JCPS
will be able to communicate progress. I hope the children get what they
need in the process."

Hensley has not returned calls to his cell phone Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

Hargens
is already on the hunt for people to fill the open chief communications
and community relations and chief of data management positions, as well
as someone to fill the new chief business officer position, which she
created months ago.

Hensley's resignation means Hargens' seven-member cabinet is less than half-filled.

"I
was saddened to learn from Dewey of his decision to resign as Chief
Academic Officer of JCPS, effective Oct. 9," Hargens said in a statement
released Thursday morning. "Dewey has been an unwavering champion for
the success of all students, including those who are excelling, those
who are struggling, and those who have yet to discover their passion. I
will miss his honest counsel and fierce determination."

Hensley
has expressed frustration in recent weeks, including in a "3-page white
paper" he sent to school board members late last month. That
paper talked about attacks to the "cocoon of change" he and his team had
put around efforts to revamp JCPS' alternative schools system.

The
"white paper," which also included additional pages of his own thoughts
at the end, was sent following a concern from board member Chris Brady
that Hensley's alternative schools revamp wasn't completely thought out.
Brady sent the email Sept. 17 asking for an update about the
reorganization of the alternative schools after he'd received a message
from a concerned teacher at Liberty High.

Hensley's "white paper"
and accompanying note charges that many JCPS schools don't want to deal
with the most challenging students and that the current system gives
students with emotional behavioral disabilities "no home."

While
the white paper laid out some suggestions for changes, such as creating
permanent units in several schools for students with emotional
behavioral disabilities, Hensley also spent a significant amount of time
in the document talking about teacher pushback against change
and calling out how the alternative schools have long been run, charging
that "in the past these schools were run by people" whom JCPS allowed
to serve as "benevolent dictators."

"It is amazing how many people
in our alternative schools are connected to each other," Hensley wrote,
"in some cases in ways that even the least cynical of us would have to
raise their eyebrow and question."

Hensley has
been with JCPS off and on for decades and has been chief academic
officer since February 2012. He is making more than $163,000 a year.

Before
becoming chief academic officer, he was an associate commissioner with
the Kentucky Department of Education, having been tapped by the state
after he helped turn around JCPS’ economically challenged Atkinson
Elementary in his five years as principal there.

Hensley arrived in Jefferson County in 2003 and was principal of Bates Elementary before he went to Atkinson.

In
his time as JCPS chief academic officer, Hensley helped the state’s
largest school district as it tried to turn around persistently
low-achieving schools and implemented new state-mandated tests aligned
to the Common Core.

He pushed for a third-grade reading pledge to have all JCPS students reading on grade level by the end third grade.

And
one of his catchphrases, “more effective instruction in more classrooms
more of the time,” has become an oft-repeated phrase within the
district whenever discussions about progress come up.

After a great deal of careful consideration and reflection, I have decided to resign from my post as the Chief Academic Officer of Jefferson County Public Schools.

First, I am very proud of the roles I have played in Jefferson County Public Schools. In each role I did my absolute best to help the children and families of our community and I have worked with alented teachers and leaders who taught me much about teaching and leading. Perhaps the most beneficial time was the year when the cabinet worked to reorganize the district so “children and classrooms were at the center of the universe.”

Nonetheless, since those first bold steps of reorganization, the factors surrounding the "working conditions" (yes, those actually apply to all employees, not just JCTA members) have not been very enriching. It has been a time of marginalized voices, eroded credibility, and a great deal of time devoted less to developing quality schools for children and more about managing perceptions for adults. I have rarely left any leadership meeting without a boulder-sized sense of frustration regarding our lack of focus, our emphasis on perception above reality, and the lacking sense of urgency around achievement.

After that first year of my tenure it has been a challenge to be heard above the "noise" of indecision, the circling buzz of perception, and the hammer strikes to fabricate an image. I have attempted to raise my voice regarding the lack of congruency between our strategic plan and our actions; our focus on perception and pseudo-innovation (as opposed to real innovation) and lack of investment in our students from poverty by the superintendent, my team did so, only to be left to take the full brunt of the "adult-centered pushback." Often “credit” weighed much more than “credibility” in our work.

This empowered those with the least accountability and the least experience while silencing many whose lives are focused on this work and who are most accountable for results. Obviously, it is not wise for a person, no matter how willing he or she is to accept accountability, to have the responsibility to do something, but none of the decision making capital.

After
an exchange with Dr. Hargens and Diane Porter and another exchange with
Public Relations and Dr. Hargens this week, it is clear I am expected
to be accountable for results, but secondary in the inputs—this makes me
a scapegoat, not by chance, but by design. For some, a large salary
makes that an acceptable arrangement—and for some like me, will do it if
it adds value to the greater good and the cause.

However, it seems much more based on perception and ideological stances rather than the cause. Mywork has always been done not for the superintendent or for the board; it is for kids and families. I don’t mean this in the “it’s about the kids” rhetoric of some, but rather in measurable results, which,as we found out this year, can’t be achieved without real focus and time.

I wish both of you all the luck in getting what you want--I am certain with the changes in

assessments and accountability you seek, JCPS will be able to communicate progress. I hope thechildren get what they need in the process.

Leadership
isn’t seeing where everyone is going and jumping to the front of the
line. It is about rising above the “human politic” to create the “future
stories” children need.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve in this role. I am requesting my resignation be effective on Friday, October 9, 2015 at 5:00 P.M. I have great confidence my team will be able to meet your needs in my absence.

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So far as we know, we only get one lifetime. So, when I "retired" in 2004, after 31-years in public education I wanted to do something different. I wanted to teach, write and become a student again. I have since spent a decade in higher ed.

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On the campaign trail...with my wife Rita

An action shot: The Principal...as a much younger man.

Faculty Senate Chair

Serving as Mace Bearer during the Inauguration of Michael T. Benson as EKU's 12th president.

Teaching

EDF 203 in EKU's one-room schoolhouse.

Professin'

Lecturing on the history of Berea College to Berea faculty and staff, 2014.

Faculty Regent

One in a long series of meetings. 2016

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